Fender or trolley-wheel guard.



J. A. MAOMAHON- FENDER 0R TROLLEY WHEEL GUARD.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.23, 190B.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Wibnmom UNITED STATES PATENT orrron.

JOHN A. MaclVIAI-ION, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

FENDER OR TROLLEY-WHEEL GUARD.

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that I, JOHN A. MAoMAHoN, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Fender or Trolley-IVheel Guard, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fenders or guards for trolley cars or the like and has for an object to provide a means positively acting to prevent a body or object from being run over or struck by the wheels of a car so that the usual accidents resulting fatally are reduced to a minimum.

In the normal position of fenders some distance must necessarily be allowed between the bottom of the fender and the level of the rails, and I have called this distance the standard distance, and hereinafter refer to the same as such.

In my present invention I have devised a fender or wheel guard simple in its parts, positive in its action and eflicient and reliable in its operation. It maintains as usual the standard distance above the rails which the necessities of ordinary transit requires but when thrown into operation it assumes a position in close proximity to the rails and at such a time as to absolutely prevent any part of a body getting beneath it and within reach of the wheels.

It further consists of other novel features of construction, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred by me, since the same has been found to give satisfactory and reliable results, although it is to be understood that the Various instrumentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and organization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Figure 1 represents a portion of a car body showing a fender thereon embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of my novel fender showing its op eration diagrammatically. Fig. 3 represents an elevation from the front of a portion of the fender.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the figures.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed December 23, 1908.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909. Serial No. 468,897.

The accompanying drawings show in fender or guard placed under the body of the car, in front of the wheels, this position preventing injury to the device from collisions which are always occurring in the course of ordinary street traffic, but it is self evident that it can be placed with absolute certainty of equally efiicient result, in front of the car if condition or individual judgment would require it so being placed. If the device is to be used as a fender then the curve of the guard or scoop could be changed from an arc of a circle as shown on the drawing, to a shape which would more readily permit the picking up of a recumbent body or object from the track, and the alteration of the guard or scoop to the curve spoken of in no way interferes with the eflicient action of the device.

Referring to the drawings :1 designates a portion of a car body, supported on the usual sills 2 and carried on the wheels 3, all of which construction is of the type commonly used in the design of trolley cars or the like.

In the present instance a plurality of hangers 4 are secured to the sills 2 for the purpose of supporting my novel fender device and as here shown the hangers 4 are braced at their extremities by bars 5, whereby a firm, rigid supporting means is provided for pivots 6 and 7, the functions of which are to support the several separate parts of the fender structure. Mounted upon the pivot 6 are side members 8, one side 9 of each of which is cutsubstantially on the arc of a circle, whereby when the cooperating parts are in position a scoop like structure is produced, forming a very effect ive guard for the wheels. A portion 10 of the opposite side of said members 8 is here shown as formed with a slightly different curvature for the purpose of producing a cam like action when in contact with its coacting adjuncts, to be presently described.

The members 8 have secured thereto in any suitable manner, a net 11 which extends between the two members, filling the space therebetween with a more or less yielding material adapted to break the force of an object striking against or between the side members 8. It will be noted that this not also passes completely over the object contacting surface of the respective side members for a similar purpose.

12 designates a plurality of members mounted on pivots 7, each of which members is positioned in alinement with members 8 and. with which they are adapted to engage to produce the correct operation of the fender. The members 12 are provided, as here shown, with curved sides 13 and 14, whereby cam like faces are formed thereon adapted to cooperate with the respective faces 10 of the side members 8 and thus hold the scoop guard in correct operative position. These cam members 12 are in normal position suspended in front of the members 8 and extend sufliciently near the ground or track to insure engagement with any obstruction which may endanger the safety of the car or which may be injured by the same.

15 designates a trip extending transversely across the space between the said members 12 and forms not only a swinging means to break the force of a blow, but also and pri marily a means for moving the cam members 12 about pivots 7 to bring the cam surfaces 13 and 14f into engagement with the surfaces 10 of the guard and thus produce a swinging movement of the latter about the pivot 6 to bring the scoop net of the guard to the position indicated in dotted lines in Figs. 1 and 2.

It will be noted that the trip structure is preferably designed for an action independent of the guard in order that a preliminary movement thereof may be permitted, where by the blow of the trip is lessened and the guard brought into operation smoothly and at the proper time. Furthermore, this independent action allows an increase in the standard distance at certain times and the passing of minor obstructions beneath the trip when it is not desired that the guard be brought into picking up position.

As here shown, the trip 15 is secured by bolts 16 to the members 12, although it will of course be understood that any well known fastening means may be employed.

In Fig. 1 the device is seen in normal position with the guard members 8 elevated the standard distance from the track and with their upper ends resting on the cam surface 13 of the members 12.

It will be noted in the present instance that rods 17 pass between the upper ends of the side members 8 in order to stiffen the guard structure and also serve as a counterweighting means to return the guard automatically to normal position and hold the same the standard distance from the track when the trip is out of contact with an obstruction.

My novel fender as here disclosed is mounted at a point adjacent the wheels 3 of the car, but it will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the same may be placed at the front end of the car platform if desired and its operation will of course be the same.

In operation, if a person falls upon the track in front of the car the position of the trip 15 is such as to strike against the body of the person, whereby a swinging movement of the members 12 is produced, thereby bringing the cam surfaces 13 and 1 1 respectively into engagement with the cam surface 10 of the side members 8, causing a swinging movement of the guard member about the pivot 6 and bringing the lower end thereof in a position adjacent the track at the proper moment to prevent any part of the body of the person coming into contact with the wheels.

Attention is particularly directed to the cam function of the members 12, since the engagement thereof with the surface 10 of the side members of the guard serves as an efficient lock, during the time the trip is in engagement with an obstruction, and absolutely prevents any backward movement of the guard which might throw the person or obstruction under the wheels. Attention is further directed to the downward movement of the guard proper in that it is operated at the moment desired and turning on the arc of a circle to a point adjacent the track, it is impossible for any part of the person struck by the trip 15 to get beneath the lower edge of the net. That is to say the distance between the pivots G and 7 is so related to the movements of the trip and guard that the latter is in position adjacent the rails before any portion of a recumbent body can reach or get beneath it.

It will be noted that when my device is in operation, viz:the trip up, the guard down, and a body pressing against both, the greater the pressure the firmer the guard will be in maintaining its position close to the ground, in other words it looks itself. After the device has been operated through impact with the body, upon the removal of the body the device will immediately resume its normal position, owing to the upper part of the guard being heavier than the lower, thus proving the device to be absolutely automatic and operating only by impact with a body on the track, and on removal of said body positively resuming its normal position.

There are no complicated parts to get out of order, and its self action being so simple and positive it requires no attention to secure prompt and efficientresults in moments of en'iergency. I would also draw particular attention to the fact that there is less danger in my opinion in being struck by my device than by any of previous construction or design. The fact that the trip is pivoted and yielding in the direction the body is traveling (against the direction of the car) reduces the force of the blow to a minimum this in itself preventing many serious injuries.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and useful construction which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and in the above description, and while I have in the present instance shown and described the preferred embodiment thereof which has been found in practice to give satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent, is

1. A fender comprising a guard pivotally mounted on a vehicle, a trip independently operable adjacent said guard and means on said trip to engage said guard during a movement of said trip.

A fender comprising a guard pivotally mounted on a vehicle, means to maintain said guard in inoperative position, a trip independently operable adjacent said guard and means on said trip to engage said guard during a movement of said trip.

A fender comprising a guard movably mounted on a vehicle, a counterweight to maintain said guard in inoperative position, a trip independently operable adjacent said guard, and means on said trip to engage said guard during a movement of said trip.

4:. A fender comprising a guard movably mounted on a vehicle, a trip adjacent there to, a cam surface on said trip to engage said guard and a second cam surface on said trip acting as a lock for said guard when said trip engages an obstruction.

5. A fender comprising a guard having a cam face thereon, a trip pivoted adjacent thereto, and a plurality of cam faces on said trip adapted to cooperate with said guard cam face to shift said guard to operative position and lock the same.

6. A fender comprising a guard having a plurality of cam faces thereon, a trip pivoted adjacent thereto having a plurality of cam faces adapted to cooperate with each cam face of said guard to shift the latter to operative position and lock the same therein.

JOHN A. MAoMAHON. 

